College Visits – More than just the tour

With summer almost here, this is the season for seniors to be making their decisions on colleges as well as for juniors to start thinking about the admissions process and where they want to go.

For students, when considering a college to apply to, it is important to experience the campus more than just through the college tour. Students can get a good feel for the campus if they know someone who already attends and can ask them questions, go with that student to sit in on a class, visit the learning disabilities office, visit the bookstore or explore the campus.

If there are instate colleges a student is looking at, it is helpful for a student to look at a college more than once. For freshmen and sophomores, they can even do a ‘drive by’ tour. This is when a parent will drive them through or around the campus just to get a visual of the layout.

As students are in their junior year, it is a good idea for them to reach out to another student/sibling/cousin/family friend they know who is attending the school to get a more personal feel. Choosing the right college may seem like a daunting task, but it can also be fun and exciting!

There are many benefits to getting to know a college besides just leaning on one campus tour. This article in the New York Times gives some good insight on thinking outside the box: